The Colorado Avalanche signed Martin Necas to a contract extension recently. Necas came to the Avalanche with a ton of pressure. He was traded for Mikko Rantanen, one of the best players in the game. Those are big shoes to fill for any player. Less than 12 months later, though, he's done enough to sign a long-term contract with the team.
Necas has proven to be an important player for Colorado. He has shown the ability to produce at an elite rate alongside Nathan MacKinnon. Letting Necas go for nothing in NHL Free Agency would have been a brutal blow. Either way, this is a fascinating deal to look at, considering the context. With this in mind, ClutchPoints is providing grades for the $92 million contract extension signed by the Avalanche and Necas.
Martin Necas get his payday
Necas had shown promise with the Carolina Hurricanes before the Rantanen trade. He wasn't too far removed from a 71-point season when he was traded. However, he also didn't seem long for the Hurricanes. He didn't fit with Rod Brind'Amour's high-pressure system. A trade to the Avalanche seemed like a good move for him.
Necas went on to play at a near-point-per-game pace for Colorado. He scored 11 goals and 28 points in 30 games. This helped give him his best overall season, as he finished with a total of 83 points in 78 games. So far in 2025-26, the Avalanche star has continued to prove that he can be an elite-level offensive threat.
Necas could have been a rather unique free agent. Players of his caliber usually don't hit the market at the age of 27. He would have been one of the youngest players available. And he would have been one of the best of the class, as well.
However, there is one major caveat. He would not have received an eight-year contract had he hit the open market. In fact, he wouldn't have received a seven-year contract. Due to changes in the collective bargaining agreement, the max term he could have received on the open market was six years.
Necas gains more long-term security on his contract in exchange for a lower cap hit. This is a good trade-off, without a doubt. At the same time, he may have left a couple million on the table with the rising cap hit and his position on the market.
Did Avalanche give Necas the Mikko Rantanen deal?
The Avalanche needed to find a way to keep Necas. Trading Rantanen was a massive risk at the time. The fact that he was traded again following the initial move may vindicate them a bit. But it seemed as if Rantanen would have stuck around for a bit of a cut-price deal.
Yes, Rantanen signed a contract with a $500K higher salary after being traded to the Dallas Stars. To some extent, though, this could be chalked up to his going to a no-tax state. At the time of the initial trade with the Hurricanes, though, Rantanen indicated he would have taken a discount to remain in Denver.
Overall, signing Necas to a slightly cheaper contract is good business. He is two years younger than Rantanen, and there's a chance he can become a 100+ point player down the line. However, he is not Rantanen, and considering the context of this deal, the value isn't the same.
Grades and final thoughts
Both Necas and the Avalanche get good marks for their part in the Martin Necas contract extension. The context around this extension is certainly worth noting, and it does affect the grade a bit. However, this deal keeps Necas around long-term at a cap hit that should be reasonable for Colorado moving forward. Both sides are pleased with this one.
Martin Necas grade: A-
Colorado Avalanche grade: A-
